Denis Villeneuve, Pamela Anderson, Steve McQueen, and More to Be Celebrated at IndieWire Honors

IndieWire, the definitive outlet for creative independence in film and TV, announced on Thursday, November 14 the latest edition of its biannual IndieWire Honors event. Curated and selected by IndieWire’s editorial team, IndieWire Honors is a celebration of the filmmakers, artisans, and performers responsible for some of the most stellar offerings of this year’s film awards season. In June, IndieWire Honors celebrated its first-ever TV-only edition of the event.

The fourth edition of the event will be celebrated at an intimate cocktail reception taking place on Thursday, December 5 in Los Angeles. Exclusive content, including honoree profiles, will be featured on IndieWire.com beginning November 29 and continue until the awards night, followed by video interviews from the event.

Additional honorees and the event’s host will be announced in the coming days.

“This will be another unforgettable IndieWire Honors, a night unlike any other,” said Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire’s Senior VP and Editor-in-Chief. “We’re excited to celebrate such a diverse group of extraordinary cinematic talent.”

“We’re thrilled to have our most eclectic group of Honorees ever, celebrating the wide range of voices and artistry this awards season, as well as offering awards for animation and craft in film for the first time,” said IndieWire SVP & Publisher James Israel.

The Winter 2024 IndieWire Honors honorees are:

RaMell Ross – Auteur Award

It may be bold to refer to the person who adapted Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel as an auteur, but with “Nickel Boys,” a transfer of ownership has occurred. Filmmaker RaMell Ross takes an account of two young men trapped at an infamous reformatory school and composes his film in a way that provides the audience with a truly visceral experience. Using the tools that earned him an Oscar nomination for his directorial debut, the documentary “Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” the filmmaker again shepherds a project that mesmerizes viewers in unforgettable ways, proving him to be a singular voice.

Denis Villeneuve – Visionary Award

It is its own accomplishment for a director to complete a “Dune” adaptation, so to see Denis Villeneuve take on the challenge of making the definitive cinematic version of Frank Herbert’s beloved sci-fi epic, and achieve such critical and commercial success while doing it, is inspirational. With “Dune: Part Two,” the Oscar-nominated director delivers on the promise of a deeper look at Arrakis, sandworms, political unrest, unsettling visions, and all. Along the way, he mixes everything from infrared camera techniques to wiring and practical effects, and brilliantly captures the imagination that fans of the novels harbored for decades. The setting is a vision realized, executed by a cast of young actors on the precipice of superstardom.

Chris Sanders – Spark Award

A story about a superintelligent service robot raising a baby goose alongside a fox does not immediately suggest a film that absolutely drains the tear ducts of parents and children alike. Still, it’s fair to say that for the filmmaker behind projects like “Lilo & Stitch,” Chris Sanders knows how to deliver a beloved film that audiences did not know they needed. “The Wild Robot” is a confluence of all the elements that make animation special, from painterly images to a stellar voice cast and music that unlocks new levels of emotion.

Steve McQueen and Adam Stockhausen – Wavelength Award

World War II has been mined so often that it’s a film genre unto itself, but even now, there are aspects of the global event that have been too often glossed over. With “Blitz,” director Steve McQueen and production designer Adam Stockhausen again team up to not only illuminate what life was like in London when Nazis bombed the city, but to also walks their audience right through its devastation, emotional and physical. Though the film centers on a mother and her son, the massive scale and practical design takes us away from the rubble, through infernos, and into the crowded, gilded tunnels toward safety.

Pamela Anderson – Performance Award

Pamela Anderson’s performance in Gia Coppola’s “The Last Showgirl” beautifully reflects her own isolation through decades in Hollywood — no wonder she describes it as the role she has been waiting for her whole career. There is a richness to her Shelly, the titular last showgirl at a Vegas revue, that allows viewers a deep empathy and understanding after spending just 85 minutes with her. While it may seem like the end of the road for Anderson’s showgirl, Coppola’s film feels like the start of a renaissance for the actress in finding more roles that understand her talent and further her evergreen appeal.

Angela Patton and Natalie Rae – Magnify Award

It’s a simple concept: a day in which young girls attend a dance with their incarcerated fathers — but directors Angela Patton and Natalie Rae’s “Daughters” has extraordinary depth. It’s unnerving to witness the effects of America’s flawed justice system on families, but this Netflix documentary is not gloomy. Whether parent or child, many of these people are bright lights that prove everyone has a story worth telling. Although it is heartbreaking to watch them say goodbye after the climactic dance, the film leaves viewers with the hope that it can effect change, and lead to more programs rooted in keeping families connected through hardship.

Jennifer Lopez – Maverick Award

After three decades of chart-topping music, movie-star roles, and producing dozens of films that appeal to viewers across generations, Jennifer Lopez is not just a star, but someone who was truly born to entertain. In Amazon’s “Unstoppable,” based on the true story of one-legged college wrestling champion Anthony Robles, Lopez opts for a lower key: She portrays his mother Judy, who is inspired by her son to pursue a fresh start that results in her own triumphs. It’s a fitting role for Lopez in a career filled with them: she knows what it means to blaze her own trail, and what it takes to get there. “Unstoppable” is an apt description for this maverick performer.

Justin Kuritzkes, Amy Pascal, and Luca Guadagnino – Impact Award

When “Challengers” hit theaters in April, it satiated an audience that suffered from months of ambivalence about theatergoing. Finally, there was a high-quality film that was fun to talk about and inspired theories — not to mention giving tennis lessons a try, or buying a pair of Chanel sandals, or opening up relationships. Released outside the standard window for awards contenders, it has staying power: This Halloween, character costumes of Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist, and Zendaya were inescapable. It’s the grand slam for debut screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes, producer Amy Pascal, and director Luca Guadagnino, who delivered one of the defining films of 2024.